A Wishing Moon (11 page)

“
Arabella here,” she pointed to her granddaughter, “has some, what you might call…psychic ability. She can touch items and get mental pictures of the person to whom the item belongs. Sometimes she can get an idea of what the person was doing the last time they held the object, for example.”

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Grandmother’s right,” Arabella confirmed. “The day Rachel Townsend came to see me she brought Kathy’s sunglasses and Lea’s doll. I touched them and sensed they had met with foul play. I felt fear and panic and I saw Kathy get hit forcefully by someone, but I could not see her attacker. Then I took a crystal pendulum and I used it to read a map to see if I could determine which way she had been taken.” Detective Garrison watched Arabella intently.

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Go ahead,” he urged her.

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The pendulum proved to be frustrating; it seemed to be telling me she didn’t go anywhere. This turned out to be true, but at the time, I could make no sense of it all.”

Elizabeth picked up the story next. “My little girl has many other talents, but in the area of psychic ability—she can’t hold me a candle to run by. Where she hears whispers, I hear shouts, and where she sees snippets of information, I get reels of movie quality cinematic revelations.’ She watched the detective’s eyes widen. “And yes, I can read your mind, you naughty boy.”

The detective had the good grace to blush because he had been thinking what a beautiful mouth this woman had and how he would like to kiss her to see if it tasted as good as it looked. He cleared his throat and ignored the comment. “What did you find when you went over to the Townsend’s, Elizabeth?” She smiled as he said her name, because she could tell he liked the way it rolled off his tongue.

“
At Arabella’s request, we went over right after we arrived. I began to relive what had happened in the Townsend home. I saw that Kathy had allowed her attacker to enter the back kitchen door. He did not have to break in.” When he heard that bit of information, Detective Garrison got his pad back out and wrote it down.

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You’re right,” he acquiesced. “We did not find any sign of forced entry.”

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I don’t know if she had the door open because she was calling the dog and he just took the opportunity to force himself in, or if she willingly opened the door for him because she knew him. That information is blocked by the flood of horror and panic when Kathy realized she and her daughter were in danger. One thing I do know, the attacker killed the little white dog. I definitely picked up that image from his mind. He thought about the dog several times while he subdued Kathy. The man hates animals.”

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What else can you tell me?”

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I saw Kathy try to get Lea to run,” Arabella interrupted her mother’s story. “I also saw him catch the little girl and then I sensed he made Kathy carry her out of the yard.”

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You can’t give me a description of the killer or a name?” The detective asked hopefully.

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No,” Elizabeth sighed. “And it’s odd. I get no picture of him at all. For some reason he seems to be cloaked. I don’t know whether to take that literally, or figuratively, but no image of him comes through whatsoever. Honestly, I’ve never experienced another reading like this.”

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I’m finding the whole thing kind of strange,” the detective admitted. “Did you see him kill them?”

Elizabeth looked down at her hands. “I haven’t shared this information with anyone. I know he hit them with some type of club.”

“
You are right. They both died from blunt force trauma. We haven‘t found the murder weapon, yet. Now, tell me how did you know where the bodies were?” He leaned forward with an obvious mix of fascination and excitement.

“
I can give you some insight there, Detective Garrison.” His attention turned to the elegant woman of color. “I do not have the same gift Elizabeth and Arabella have. My gift is not so pleasant.” Elizabeth watched as the detective raised one expressive brow.

“
I was born with the ability to see those who have passed on. Sometimes they look as real to me as you do; I have been known to mistake them for the living. Other times, it is more obvious they are dead. I have encountered transparent beings, people in various stages of death, and by that, I mean people who look like their body did at the time of death. Kathy and Lea fit into this last category. As I stood at the back door of the Townsend home while Elizabeth was getting a feel for the emotions of the place, I saw Kathy and Lea walk from the woods up to the edge of the yard. I saw them as if they were alive, yet horribly beaten and bloody. They hadn’t abandoned the state of their body as it had been in death. I saw their disfigured faces and the dark bruises and Lea’s misshapen skull, which she received at the hands of her attacker.” Angelique spoke so calmly and softly, a sharp contrast to the terrible things she described.

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I can’t believe I’m asking you these questions. Did they tell you where their bodies were?”

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No,” Angelique surprisingly said. “The newly dead can’t always find their voice. My experience tells me their ability to communicate with the living comes with time and experience. There are those who have no desire to interact with this world and they don’t attempt to do so. There are others who want to be noticed and who have something to say, they find ways to make themselves known. Kathy and Lea appeared to me, but they did not speak. What they did do was lead me to their bodies. I followed them back to the abandoned well. They stood by their resting place and waited for me to join them. There’s something else I need to tell you also, Detective Garrison.”

He waited patiently. “What is that?”

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There are others.”

“
What others?”

Elizabeth, Arabella, Evangeline and Nanette all watched the exchange with interest. Obviously, the detective was hearing much more than he bargained for.

His apparent incredulity, however, did not deter Angelique from finishing her story.

“
Detective Garrison, there are other bodies buried in that same plot of land near the well where you found Kathy and Lea.”

“
What are you saying, Miss…Miss Angelique?”

“
Angelique Fontenot. Detective, what I am saying is that the small area of land right behind the Townsend’s on Cypress Creek seems to be a killing field. I saw, perhaps, five or six other women walk toward me from out of the wooded area. Not all of them were silent. One young woman with long blonde hair didn’t seem afraid to speak to me. She walked up, as close as I am to you. She looked as real as you do, also.

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She said, ‘You can see us.’

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I replied to her that I could.”

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She said, ‘We have been waiting for so long.’”

Detective Garrison was entranced, hanging on Angelique’s every word. “What else did the ghost say?”

“
She said all of their families deserved to know what had happened to them. They all want to be found, Detective. There are at least half a dozen lost souls waiting to be discovered. I promised I would bring you to them and you would find their bodies and let them go home. Maybe you will find evidence of the killer‘s identity with one of their bodies.”

The next words of the detective were short and sweet.

“
Take me to them.”

As Angelique and Elizabeth readied themselves to go with the detective, Nanette rose and prepared a plate of food for them to take to the grieving woman. “Tyler, I’m a good listener, if you need to talk.”

He leaned on the counter and took her up on her offer. “I wasn’t satisfied with the autopsies, so I haven’t released the bodies of Kathy and Lea to Ms. Townsend. What puzzled me was the complete absence of trace evidence. That tells me the killer knew exactly what he was doing. If Ms. Fontenot is able to lead me to other victims, perhaps one of them will give us a clue to the killer’s identity.”

Nannette folded her arms over her chest and smiled at the young man. “I like you, Tyler. We will do everything in our power to help you and these poor lost souls. And the smartest advice I can give you is to trust us.”

* * * *

Elizabeth decided not to go on the sad walk with Tyler and Angelique. She knew that they would walk through the haunted woods behind the Townsend home and mark spot after spot where a body lay buried. And Tyler would take down name after name as the gruesome tale unfolded. Instead, she stayed with Rachel Townsend. They were close to the same age and Elizabeth could not help but think back on the sadness this woman had caused Arabella. She realized, however, the pain inflicted on her daughter paled beside the torment Rachel was going through at the loss of her only child and grandchild. Elizabeth invited her to come and have lunch with them on Christmas Day, but Rachel had said she would be going to her sister’s house. While she issued the holiday meal invitation, another one came to her mind. She wondered if the detective had family, and if he didn’t, would he want to spend another day with her? She decided it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

After Angelique and Tyler Garrison had returned to the house, the detective told her they suspected there might be more to find on her property, and asked if it would be okay for them to look while she visited her sister. Rachel told the detective to do whatever he thought best. Elizabeth wanted to leave, but apparently, the detective had a few more questions.

“
Mrs. Townsend, I know I asked you this yesterday, but maybe you’ve had time to think on things a little more. Can you think of anyone who would have wanted to harm Kathy?”

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I’m sorry, Detective. I don’t have a better answer for you today than I did yesterday. I can’t think of anyone who would want to hurt my daughter.”

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Have you spoken to Lea’s father?”

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Oh, yes. Johnny has been here. As you know, Kathy and Johnny have had a rocky relationship. She took her maiden name back after the divorce, but Johnny never gave up. He loved Kathy and his little girl so much. He is absolutely devastated. He said he talked to you and told you he would cooperate fully. He is heartbroken. I don’t suspect him in the least.”

“
Well, to tell you the truth, I don’t either. His alibi checks out, he was on a business trip and stayed in the room with another guy, who vouches for his whereabouts the whole time. As you know, we took Kathy’s computer and we even checked the hard drive on your computer. We found nothing that would raise any suspicions. Am I missing anything, Mrs. Townsend? Think hard, am I leaving any stone unturned?”

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I can’t think of anything. We didn’t go many places, just around town and to church.”

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Is there anyone in your church you suspect?”

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Well, good heavens, no.”

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Well, that’s all the questions I have for now, but if you think of anything, please call me. Right now we have no leads, no suspects, and no explanation at all on who might have murdered your family.”

She promised to call him if she had any information to share.

After he finished with Rachel, the detective drove the other women home. Elizabeth lingered outside. The detective stood by his car door, seemingly, as reluctant to leave her as Elizabeth was for him to leave.

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This is truly amazing. I have never met anyone like your family, Elizabeth.”

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I like you Detective Garrison.” Elizabeth was very straightforward.

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I like you too, Elizabeth Landry.”

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Would you like to eat Christmas dinner with a bunch of witches?” She pulled no punches.

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I’d be delighted. What time shall I arrive?”

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Be here at eleven in the morning and enjoy the day with us.”

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I fully intend to do that, Miss Elizabeth—more than you know.”

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Oh, I know everything, Detective. I even know what color underwear you’re wearing.”

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Well, damn.”

* * * *

Arabella had made potato salad, baked ten dozen sugar cookies and stuffed a stocking for everyone—including Detective Garrison—since she knew how her mother felt about him. She felt so torn. Ignoring the fact that it was Christmas Eve, she had finally broken down and phoned the home of Jade’s fiancée, but a housekeeper had explained to her they were all on a ski trip and she didn’t a have a lot of information on Mr. Landale. The only thing she found out from the woman was the news that Jade was still alive, but very badly injured. Arabella’s heart hurt, but she had pushed for more information. The housekeeper said she did not know what hospital he was in, or maybe she just wouldn’t tell Arabella. One startling revelation had come out—the housekeeper had let one important fact slip that changed everything—Kate Thompson was no longer engaged to Mr. Landale.